The Forbidden Fruit
by DenizenofTwilight
Summary: In another timeline, against her better judgment, Homura became Madoka's Senpai, and even filled her in about what it meant to be a Puella Magi. And while she existed in this abnormally happy timeline, Homura would find that the hardest thing in the world is not to manage sadness, but rather to give up happiness. A MadoHomu story with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.


**The Forbidden Fruit**

"I don't understand," Homura mutters sadly to herself, as Madoka sets about rolling up the purple magi's sleeves, cutting her hair, and forcing her to sit up straight. "How is this supposed to make me feel better, Madoka?"

"Because, Homura-chan, you always feel bad when you're under something: when you're obscured by your hair, or when you're leaning over and your sleeves are dangling. Heck, even when you purse your lips, to grind your teeth together, you're in pain. So if we fix these things... maybe you'll be happier!" Madoka explains, as she claps her hands together, as if it's the simplest thing in the world. And to her it probably is, Homura muses, as she sits at Madoka's vanity, and feels for all the world, that she's some girl at a salon

In fact, Homura's almost certain that if things were… different, that Madoka would have made a wonderful stylist. And for the hundredth time since she's made her wish, Homura finds herself dreaming of a time where they all hadn't become Magical Girls. If only a time like that could exist somewhere...

"By the way, Homura," Madoka relates, as she pulls out a doll hair-dye that she'd had as a child, and had saved all this time. And though Homura doesn't know exactly how she feels about Madoka planning to use such an old—and surely expired—product on her hair, she finds that she lets Madoka contemplate the temporary dye anyway, since it represents the time and innocence that Homura wishes she could have back for Madoka. "I'm afraid that Yuki-chan's wish—of having Kyubey for a pet cat-didn't really work out in the end. She won't give me details, but I-"

It is for the fact that Homura's Soul Gem is currently too tainted for her liking, that she ignores this observation of Madoka's, and focuses instead on the makeover she's receiving.

And as she sighs resignedly, Homura decides she doesn't know what's worse: having Madoka obsess over a problem she can't hope to fix, or that she herself is wasting time she could be using to fight Walpurgisnacht…

It is wrong that she was goofing around with Madoka, anyway. Just where was her perspective, exactly? Just because the girl in their class, Yuki, had made a wish for Kyubey to be her cat in front of Madoka, did not mean Homura should have caved and filled Madoka in about Puella Magis. It certainly shouldn't have meant that she and Madoka start spending time together again, because Madoka's now gushing over Kajura-san's cute wish, and the fact that Homura is now her Senpai.

She should have been doing better than this! Homura knew. She should have been staying away from Madoka, and continuing to drive home the fact that there was no such thing as magic and miracles (something Madoka was only just beginning to learn, through the fact that only one of the Kyubeys had turned into a cat, and the rest had remained Incubators, thus not fulfilling Yuki's wish), and yet-

"I like what you've done with my hair, Madoka. It reminds me a bit of what Nomura-san looked like with blond hair." And though Homura had just promised herself she wasn't going to think about the Yuki situation, she finds that she's doing exactly that, and that her Soul Gem is clouding all the more.

If only Yuki's cat wish had truly worked, Homura finds herself thinking, as she looks through the mirror and at Madoka's lovely eyes (not her own; never her own, as they're far too much like Kyubey's now). That would have been more than a perfect end for the creatures that had destroyed the lives of so many Magical Girls.

And yet- As always, the wish had gone haywire. The former Kyubey was a terribly cruel cat, and the Kajura family was being torn apart, in their desire to get rid of him, and Yuki's wish to keep him. Anytime now, Yuki would turn into a witch, Homura wagers. And as it happens, she doesn't like the idea of that at all. That witch would be too much like Charlotte, and too unpredictable.

"You're right, Homura-chan! It looks exactly like Nomura Tetsuya! Hehe. I guess I was modeling your hair after him unknowingly! Hey! Maybe that's what I should wish for in becoming a Magical Girl! To know just what happens in Kingdom Hearts III, so I can be a Puella Magi and not have to worry about it then!"

"No, Madoka! Absolutely not!" Homura snarls before she can stop herself, and in her haste to get out of the chair she's seated on—and to make sure that Madoka isn't about to contract—she knocks the blue dye out of Madoka's hand, and spills the hair dye everywhere.

What's even more, though, is that in bumping into Madoka, Homura had sent the poor girl teetering on her feet, so that then she fell back and ended up pushing Homura into the mirror.

Laughing madly, as her arm is cut by the glass bit by bit—looking very much like branching pine needles might—Homura knows well that her Soul Gem has about reached its limit, and that any minute now, inky darkness will be taking the place of the blood that has fallen onto the floor.

And yet, she can't care in the slightest. She's almost certain there's something she should be remembering—protecting—but she-

"Homura-chan!" some strange pinkette exclaims, as she hastily runs towards the almost-witch, who's about to rip her to pieces. "I'm so sorry! You'll be just fine! I'll bandage you up. Here! Wait! Homura-chan, what's happened to your Soul Gem?! It looks like-"

In the end, it's only the memory of all the times that Homura had seen Madoka go hysterical before—and Homura always blamed herself greatly for that—that pulls the purple magi out of her trance. At once, her eyes lose the maniacal light they've held but a few times, and Homura chokes out desperately, "Mado- Madoka. I need you to- I need you to bring me a grief seed. Can you do that?"

Even before the words have completely left Homura's mouth, Madoka is already searching all over Homura's person for a grief seed. And as Madoka searches inside the buckler that Homura has finally summoned to her side, the brunette tries to just sit there and relax. She know that any negative action or motion on her part will all too easily turn her into a witch, and then there will be no going back. There will be no anything anymore.

And so Homura watches, as Madoka's hair pokes in and out of her peripheral vision, and imagines it looks much like a flower might, in stretching up to meet the sunlight. She tries to count all of the dust motes in the air, as she breathes deeply and thinks of the times she was actually happy.

Most of all, though, Homura thinks of the irony that Madoka's computer is stuck on some eerie screen, almost begging for Homura's monstrous witch transformation to occur.

But finally, with shaking hands, Madoka hands the grief seed to Homura. And very carefully, Homura trades the blackness of her Soul Gem over to the witch's egg. And then, not daring to expend too much magic after that close call, Homura uses the slightest bit of power she can manage, and heals her arm.

All the while, Madoka is deadly frozen and silent, and Homura thinks she knows all too well why.

"Homura, you-"

"Madoka," Homura says resolutely, as she steps over to where Madoka has sat on her bed, and puts her hands atop her shoulders. Many times she will do this in the future, Homura will soon learn. And unlike now—when she's mostly doing it resolutely, and to comfort Madoka—in the future she will crave such content when she's a blubbering mess.

Now, though, Homura only knows of the timelines she's already affected, and so she begins forming plans in a way that's become known and familiar to her. "I will never let you see me fall like that again, Kaname-san. I swear it. Nor will I ever allow you to trigger a similar fate unto yourself. I think you for your plight and kindness to me, Kaname-san, and ask only one thing of you now: convince Hitomi Shizuki to become a Magical Girl."

And as shock and betrayal light up in Madoka's eyes—and Homura can almost see Kyubey reflected in them, as if he's waited in the wings to take the scared girl's Madoka's wish, all the while—Homura thinks she might despise herself more than she ever has before.

And already, she can feel her magic dissipate the tiniest bit, as her soul once again becomes victim to the Law of Cycles, but she knows she has to do this. This is the answer she's always be looking for. If she can just maneuver things right in this timeline, she might finally find the answer to the eternal maze, and never have to negate another timeline again!

Her plan is to go back in time, to when she first made her wish, so as to alter it. Granted, Homura knows she couldn't normally do this with her powers, since it was her wish that had given her powers in the first place. But if she could get Hitomi to wish it possible… then Homura knows she'll be able to split herself into two to achieve this. She'll be able to go back and make sure she still gets time powers, but also alter her wish the tiniest bit to save Madoka. It's perfect!

And yet as Madoka looks at her with suspicious and guarded eyes, Homura gets the sense that everything's about to go horribly wrong. "Kaname-san, what's-"

"Akemi-san, you're my Senpai and my classmate. But beyond that, even, I see you as a friend. And I want to believe in you, Akemi-san. I've seen you go and fight witches, so I should believe in you, but- how can you ask me to have Hitomi-chan come into this world, after you just- after you-

"Kyubey lied to us all! And I don't know what to think, or what to believe anymore, and until I figure it out: I don't think I can believe in you, Homura-chan… I'm sorry."

In the end, Homura had known something like this might happen. With every iteration, she and Madoka get further and further apart, after all. There is- there is simply too much stacked against them, especially since she'd just messed up gravely.

Things had been- things had been going so well, too! The best that they'd been for the brunette in years, but as Kyoko had said, good and bad always equaled out in the end. And so, why hadn't she known better? Homura wonders to herself in desperation. Why?!

"Very- very well, Madoka. You're wise—wiser than usual, even—to think this way. And I won't trouble you anymore, so I'll be off now_." _

_Off to bargain with Hitomi myself, and to- and to prepare to keep her safe at all costs, as well as you, Madoka.. And you're- and you're calling me by honorifics again, I see. And so our intimacy is gone once again, it would seem; not that I didn't expect as much…_

And suddenly, just as fast as her earlier feelings of respect for Madoka had appeared, Homura finds that's she suddenly angry at the pinkette.

And if she's being honest with herself, Homura thinks it might be the first time she's _ever_ truly been mad at her. As even though Homura will often chew Madoka out for her stark kindness, the violet magi realizes that that is still a trait of Madoka's that she loves.

But now, as Homura is staring at Madoka with a bitterness in her mouth that makes her want to gag, she thinks that Madoka's lack of trust in her is disgusting. She has- she has done everything so Madoka can have a happy life! She's become something she would have never desire to be—and has done some terrible, terrible acts for the pinkette's sake, and yet...

Madoka isn't seeing Homura in the light she once had at all. That infuriating, yet beautiful, light of Madoka's is exactly why Homura had decided to do all that she is for the pinkette. And now Madoka thinks she has the right to judge her? Homura cannot allow that! She _won't_ allow it!

And before she can even think better of what she's doing (remember that she'd just about turned into a witch, and therefore shouldn't be making rash decisions at the moment), Homura is extending the wings she'd only been able to use once before.

In the back of her mind, Homura wonders if her ability for using the wings is similar to how Kyoko can sometimes master her Illusion powers again, but in the forefront of her mind, she is shaking Madoka by the shoulders roughly and explaining, "Look at the wings I bare, Madoka. How could I have these, if I'm not a 'Warrior of Justice' as Miki Sayaka would say? I want you to look at me, Madoka. I want you to truly look at me, and then tell me that I would hurt Hitomi. Whilst it's true the wounds I bare in these wings comes from suffering, it is suffering I do for your sake, Kaname-san. Can't you see that?!"

Though Homura can see Madoka looking her over, and considering just what she has said, she can also see how Madoka is on the defensive.

She's- she's breathing heavily, and looking as though she might do something drastic at any moment, as she curls her legs up—perhaps to hint she's going into fetal position, but it can just as easily mean that she's getting ready to sprint—and...

And before Homura can apologize for her brash words, or try to lighten up what she's just said, Madoka is pointing out exactly what Homura herself was just beginning to fear; she had hoped- had hoped that Madoka would prove her nightmares to be only that.

But instead, Madoka peeks her eyes out from behind her fingers, before saying, "Homura those wings look like witch labyrinths! It looks like the witch you were about to turn into just a moment ago! Your- your Soul Gem is even clear now, and yet you still look like that. So tell me again how I'm supposed to trust you. How?! For all I know, you could be the Queen of witches! What if- what if Kyubey didn't trick us, after all, and you did something to make him do your bidding?! What if you're the real culprit here?! I don't know, Homura! I just don't know- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

_How fantastic_, Homura thinks to herself, as Madoka finally seems to decide to fall over and sob, like she has in so many other timelines. _I've made her cry, and think I'm the ultimate evil, controlling Kyubey. And things were going so well! Like Madoka said, my Soul Gem was just cleaned, but with this new revelation, I might just have to use a grief seed sooner than later. _

"Madoka..." Homura announces timidly, as she strolls over to the person who means more to her than anything, and begins braiding her hair, like Madoka had always used to do to her so many lifetimes ago. "This doesn't matter- Me telling you this, in the end, I know it'll mean nothing. I'm already... I'm already too close to despair in this timeline, so I'll probably have to start over again soon, but... If only for this moment, I want you to know that I'm your best friend and always will be, Madoka.

"And you're right: I have nothing to show you to prove this, but perhaps I can prove it through my words. I know so much about you, Kaname-san. I know that you want to marry someone as cool as your mother, and that even a questionnaire has the ability to stress you out. I know that you like foreign food just as much as our own, as long as it's 'yummy'. And Madoka... how could I know all of these things, if I wasn't your friend? How?"

As Madoka gasps and turns around in Homura's arms, Homura knows she's finally reached Madoka in a way she hasn't in so many years. And as they're already pretty much in each other's arms, Homura thinks she finally might get what she's always wanted from Madoka, but in the end, it's not meant to be.

All the while Homura had been braiding Madoka's hair, she'd also been discreetly tying it to her shield, and spinning it. Just like she'd once time traveled her eyes to a time before they'd been bad, so does Homura plan to time travel Madoka's memories back to a time, before she'd learned about Magical Girls here.

"Wait. Homura-chan!" Madoka cries, as she finally catches up to what Homura's doing, and tears leak from her eyes, as she tries in vain to pull her hair away. "You can't do this! I see now! You really- you really know me, like you say you do. And since that's true, you must know my stance on the TV show 'Roswell', and how it terrified me, when Tess killed Alex by breaking his mind. So please don't risk the same thing with me, Homura-chan! Please don't!"

Her shield dropping from her arms, just when she'd been about to expend some of the sand, so as to activate her time powers, Homura looks at Madoka in shock.

She'd never- she'd never known that Madoka liked the TV show "Roswell". Even in all the million times they've talked in the past, that hadn't been a subject that Homura and Madoka had ever stumbled upon, and yet Homura knows exactly what the other girl is talking about, and it seems they have that one more thing in common with each other.

It's almost like- it's almost like them bonding over Amy all over again, Homura thinks sadly to herself, as tears dot her lashes, and she realizes that... that in receiving a direct order from Madoka like that, there's no way she can go against it. Madoka and her wishes will always mean too much too her, and yet-

"But I have to, Madoka!" Homura splutters, as she throws one of the cushions from one of Madoka's chairs at Kyubey, who must have been there all along, after all.

_Is he- is he hinting at the fact that Madoka's about to Contract?!_ Gulping down all of the saliva that she's able to—a complete contrast to when she'd wanted to spit out all the contents of her mouth, just a moment ago—Homura once again finds herself digging her hands into Madoka's shoulders, as she desperately tries to get the other girl to see her side of things, "If I don't take your memory, you'll just hate me! And Madoka... I might have dealt with your animistic confusion before, but I can't handle your hate. I can't! But even more than that, I can't bare your death, and this timeline could be the one where I finally do it.

"I could save you, Madoka! Don't you want that?! If I could go to Hitomi-chan; I could manage it. She has more potential than she knows, but you... you don't want me to contact Shizuki-san, hence why you'd hate me, and- and... Madoka, please. Just let me time travel your memories! Let us have this one other thing in common: that we've both done something like that. Don't leave me alone in doing this, Madoka. You're too good, and I-"

And just like that, Homura feels a loud sting on her cheek, just as she hears a resounding CRACK over Kyubey's paws padding on Madoka's windowsill. For one insane moment, Homura wonders just what Junko thinks Madoka is doing with her new friend up in her room, but then Homura is pulled back to reality, and she realizes that Madoka had slapped her to pull her from the deep end.

And that, if nothing else, is exactly why she needs to worship the ground Madoka walks on, Homura decides. Anyone else who hit her wouldn't have done it for a good reason, Homura knows. And Madoka—bless the girl—even looks regretful for her action, as she stares down at the angry marks she's gotten on her own skin, from striking Homura. And if Homura didn't know better, she would have assumed that... that Madoka was glad that she'd received a penance for harming Homura.

And just like that, Homura doesn't know whether she should be glad that Madoka pulled her from spiraling downward into grief, or hate that Madoka had had to harm herself on her count. "Madoka, thank you for reminding of my responsibilities. Truly. But I'm sorry you had to harm yourself. And I'm even more sorry that I still have to fight with you about our current conundrum. As I was saying-"

"Homura-chan, if I really mean as much to you as you say I do, and if there's no way for you to save me, why don't you... Why don't you just keep going back in time, and befriending me, but leaving before it gets bad? I mean, I wouldn't even know the difference. And that way, you could be with me, without having to deal with the traumatizing parts. And then- Well, that way we wouldn't have to bring people like Hitomi-chan into this mess. Right, Homura-chan? Despite what your arrogance says, I _do_ think you care about the others, and don't want them to be hurt.

"And is it possible... if you can time travel small things, the way you just said you can, could you give my old memories to me in future timelines? If so... then you _will _get the old me that you desire, Homura-chan. And I bet a world like that would be a god sent to you and everyone else. So... stop living in despair, okay? Live in happiness. Because as much as I love things, and even you, Homura-chan, despite our impasse in this timeline...

"I think I'd love, most of all, if I didn't have to see you almost become a witch again. If I didn't have to see those wings on you again, either. Homura... just do your best. Your best and not your worst, and keep people from suffering by your hand, if you can, my dear confidant. I- I get the sense your witch would be especially powerful, after all, and-"

"Madoka…" Homura mutters sadly to herself, as she practices pinching her eyes shut, so as to not show any more emotion or to cry. It had been something she'd tried to do in many of her previous times, when realizing that to save Madoka, she needed to act cold and ruthless. She can never let people in again, and Homura knows it well, and yet there are still many times when her emotions slip, and she finds herself ruining everything.

Like right now, Homura can notice how she's using her powers to make everything levitate around her, as her emotions get out of hand, and yet… she can't bring herself to stop it at all. Not even in realizing what she's doing will inevitably hurt Madoka, that… that she's about to have Madoka's Playstation crash into the vanity, so as to spill more glass from it.

Already, Homura can envision all too easily, how the glass might cut her again and cause her to fall into grief, and yet… And yet she can only bring herself to focus on Madoka's goodness and kindness.

"Madoka, you're too good to worry only about me in this way. And you're right… the scenario you've described would be utterly perfect. And yet… even that I would inevitably ruin, since even in happiness, I can't live without despair anymore. I'm sorry, Kaname-san. I'm so sorry! I broke my promise to you, and I'm nothing but a complete failure!" And as Homura sets her jaw upon saying this, she knows that even in finally spilling out all of her thoughts and feelings to Madoka, that she's unconsciously reverted back to her old standoffish, and secretive motifs, and that—if nothing else—proves her earlier words true: even now, when she's almost happier with Madoka than she's ever been… she's falling into despair.

And so, in the end, Homura realizes that the most dangerous person in the world to Madoka… is herself.

Madoka—perhaps having realized this, and noting all of the painful and terrible thoughts Homura could be thinking at the very moment—takes Homura's hands into her own, and smiles at her reassuringly. Then, pulling her ribbons from out of her hair, she hands them to a shocked Homura, before she motions for her to tie her hair up, so that it's in a ponytail.

"Homura-chan… if you don't know true happiness anymore, then try to meet it in the middle. That can't be so hard, can it?" Madoka asks with a sweet lilt to her voice, as she cranes her head to the side and smiles with closed eyes. "There's always a little bit of light even in the deepest darkness, Homura, so err on that side, okay? I don't want to see you suffer anymore. You don't- you don't deserve this, Homura-chan."

And to Homura's shock and amazement, she sees that Madoka is crying a glistening tear, that trails down her cheek, like the sliver of an injury might. It isn't… it isn't unlike some of Homura's own tears that she's cried in the past. And yet… it's so out of place for the usually cheerful Madoka, that Homura doesn't know what to do about it. Especially since in this timeline, Madoka doesn't truly know yet the horror of Magical Girls, and she is only guessing of things she can't hope to truly understand, and yet-

Just like that, Homura knows what her choice regarding Madoka is going to be this time. Brushing away the other girl's tears—just as Kyubey seems to sense there's no way Madoka will Contract now, with all she's heard from Homura, and ups and leaves—Homura speaks before her mind can catch up with her, and somehow… she finds that she's found the answer she should have known all along. "This moment between us is perfect, Madoka. And in this timeline, at least, I can find happiness. I'll time travel back to this moment again and again! I'll find a way for it to not make a new timeline when I do so, and then we'll be together forever. I swear it!"

And perhaps the worst part of all of this, is that Madoka actually agrees with a small smile on her face, and thanks Homura for her decision. And as the world halts around her, Homura knows why this plan can never work, and why she owes it to Madoka to not be selfish.

Coming undone, just as much as she had in having to kill Madoka in a previous timeline, Homura is apologizing to the pinkette profusely, as she clutches her hands this time, and explains; "I can't do that to you, Madoka! I want it so much! I can't even begin to tell you! I fear I might be stuck in this loop forever, but I can't do that to you. I promised you. I promised you! And you deserve to live more than just a moment in my memories. I'm- I'm so sorry, Madoka! I'm so sorry! B-but I can- I can't stay here with you. It's too tempting, with you saying these things to me right now, though, and I-"

Peculiarly, and almost zombie like (something that doesn't sit well with Homura at all, as she fears she's affected the Madoka in this timeline far too much), the pinkette steps down off her bed, and starts gathering in her hands all the things that she and Homura had shared in this timeline. And for a moment, Homura wonders if Madoka will ask her to take them with her (something that would be utterly impossible), but then…

But instead of that, Madoka is trying to use them as incentive to try to get Homura to stay, and not to doom herself and others.

"Homura-chan, even selflessness can be selfish if not applied the right way. Can't you see that? Can't you see that at all? What about your happiness, Homura-chan?! Forget who I was in other timelines; those versions don't exist to me, because I can't ever imagine telling you to sacrifice yourself for me like this, Homura-chan. So don't do it, Homura. Please! I'm begging you. Let go of the burden that's drowning you—and that'll turn you into a witch!—and stay here with me. I'll wish for it from Kyubey, if you don't-"

"I'm sorry, Madoka. Goodbye!" Turning her buckler just in time—before Madoka tries to get Kyubey to come to her, to seal both girls' fates—Homura reluctantly leaves her current timeline, and tries to reach for Madoka one last time, as she's pulled up into the air and into the white.

She thinks that she might brush her hand against Madoka's tear-streaked face before she's taken away, but Homura can't even be sure of that. All she knows is that she's just left her personal paradise, not because of Madoka's almost actions, or the fact that Yuki would soon be a threatening witch to Madoka, or even because Madoka had been hurt…

Instead, Homura had had to leave because she was afraid what she herself would do in this forbidden timeline, if given the opportunity. That Madoka had- had almost contracted to save her from this hellish existence, Homura knows. And she would have liked nothing more than to stay in that timeline (to finally have a home), and live in a temporary haven with her Madoka, but as the law of cycles goes, Homura knows happiness can never last.

And more than that… the promise she'd made to her Madoka in the third timeline still holds true: she _will_ save Madoka. And not only because it is what Madoka deserves, but because Homura knows it is the only thing she has left to guide her. Their destinies are so woven now, that Homura cant even begin to tell them apart, and as loath as she is to admit it… she doesn't know what she will do if/when all of this is over.

One thing is certain, though: no matter how happy she'd been in this timeline, Homura knows she can't make the same mistakes again. They'd almost cost her greatly, and the greatest light gave birth to the darkest shadows, after all.

"I'm so sorry, Madoka. I'm so sorry!" Homura whispers, as she tears up again, and walks backward in time. For once, Homura feels despair for not all that she's lost, but for all that could have been: the love she could have had in that last timeline, if she weren't so tied to her mission and the other Madokas.

And in the end, Homura finds that despair provoked by happiness is the worst kind of all. And she thinks that instead of moving back in time for once, that maybe she's moved her heart forward (and it hurts, to think how she and the last Madoka had talked about time traveling only parts of themselves), and has seen all that she and Madoka could be and would be, and yet… she'd severed that future herself, because there'd been no choice.

There had… there had never been any choice when it came to Madoka, Homura realizes now. And yet… paradox or not, Homura knows it's a burden she'll gladly bear forever, if it means she can see Madoka's smiling face in the future she longs for. And so Homura's journey goes on, and she thinks of smiles, her hair being almost dyed, and talk of Tetsuya Nomura. And for a moment… she's almost happy again. Almost.

**Author's Note: I have a lot to say about this fic, but I'm too tired to right now. Maybe later…**

**Also, sorry for the plethora of mistakes this undoubtedly has. I tried to edit it, and to be careful and stuff, but it's been a long time, since I've written in the present tense. No doubt I messed up a lot with that. Sorry:/ But if I hadn't posted it now, I probably would have lost my nerve and confidence. Yeah…**

**And though this ended up sad like all MadoHomu stories do, I hope there was still a bit of light for you guys to enjoy. That's what I tried to accomplish here, after all, so I really hope I succeeded. Oh, this OTP of mine…**

**Also, I drew a lot of parallels to the anime and Rebellion in this. Kudos if you can catch them all:)**

**Please review. This is the first (long) fanfiction that I've written in a while, so tell me how out of practice I am. LOL. And tell me just how I did with this, since I'm still new to writing Madoka. Please and thank you:)**

**Welp, happy holidays, all.**

**-Shanna**

**P.S. I wrote a LOT of rants in this, which is weird for me, since I usually don't write so much dialogue, but that's Madoka and Homura for you, so…**


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